Question for the experts!
Thread Starter
|
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
Question for the experts!
OK, I screwed up. I read a thread here about waxing the wheels of my F-150 Screw Lariat with 18" factory aluminum wheels to prevent brake dust from sticking to them and thought it was a great idea. I had to take my wheels off anyway to install my Ford splash guards so what better time to do it.
When I took them off they were really dirty and wouldn't come clean with just a sponge, so I got some steel wool and cleaned them. It worked so well on the inside, I got a little over zealous and did the face of the wheels. That's where I screwed up. The grey "coated" areas are fine, but I made the mistake of doing the brushed aluminum face as well and now there are small scratches on them and they don't shine like they used to.
So I need to know if and how I can remove these surface scratches and return the wheels to their original shine.
Help!!
SgtFred
When I took them off they were really dirty and wouldn't come clean with just a sponge, so I got some steel wool and cleaned them. It worked so well on the inside, I got a little over zealous and did the face of the wheels. That's where I screwed up. The grey "coated" areas are fine, but I made the mistake of doing the brushed aluminum face as well and now there are small scratches on them and they don't shine like they used to.
So I need to know if and how I can remove these surface scratches and return the wheels to their original shine.
Help!!
SgtFred
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 192
Likes: 0
From: Austin, Texas
If I'm not mistaken, which is a possibility, the wheels have a clear coat finish. I suspect you've buffed off the clear coat in some areas. If that's the case, to restore the original appearance, you'll have to strip off whatever finish is left and repaint the wheel(s). Depending on how bad the damage is, it might be easier to buy some take-off wheels. Ive seen some FX4 wheels on Ebay that were fairly inexpensive when compared to aftermarket or OE replacement prices.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
Try polishing them with some "scratch removing" polish. Most of these products are gimmicky, but they will help a little bit... depending on how deep you scratched into the clear coat.
Meguiars Scratch-X is supposed to be one of the better scratch removers. I used it on a few spots before I turned in my last lease and it did help, but not totally fix the problem.
Good luck.
Meguiars Scratch-X is supposed to be one of the better scratch removers. I used it on a few spots before I turned in my last lease and it did help, but not totally fix the problem.
Good luck.
Tuned
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Slidell La.
At this point i would sand the flat surfaces that are brushed aluminum to remove the clearcoat and the brush scratches and keep going with a higer grit paper till you get to 1500 then start polishing. Then they will look chrome
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,479
Likes: 4
Clean them thoroughly with a good degreaser, and buy a spray can of clear coat from your auto parts store and hit them with clear coat. if you use any wax products, clear coating will not work, unless you strip the wax. If you don't hit them with clear coat, and since they are alloy wheels, you will be polishing on a regular basis. They will discolor due to brake dust ( semi metallic pads, dissimilar metals) and road conditions. Clear cooat will keep that from happening. Better yet, if you feel uncomfortable doing the clear coat yourself, there are shops that recondition wheels, and will bring them back for you.
Last edited by KevinM; Sep 16, 2004 at 11:06 AM.
